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: plane · board · cell · wound · pit · vault · band · bark

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a music group
  3. bark — to shout
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. band — a ring
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in a prison

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