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 120 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: rest · squash · bark · vault · leaves · capital · board · nail

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rest — a break
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. capital — a city
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — to crush
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. capital — money
  15. bark — to shout
  16. vault — a safe
  17. board — to get on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. leaves — to go away

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