ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a ring
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a music group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — in music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com