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: wax · spring · board · vault · bark · chair · lash · arm

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spring — of water
  6. wax — to grow
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bark — to shout
  11. board — to get on
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spring — the season
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. arm — part of the body

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