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: chair · lash · wake · cabinet · ball · squash · mark · ruler

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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