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: pop · cell · bound · chair · pit · bark · leaves · craft

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — boats
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pop — music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — certain
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. bound — obliged

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