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

Word bank: club · rule · cap · spell · bark · vault

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rule — government
  5. club — for golf
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — a group
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spell — letters
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice

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