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: pass · chair · ground · wake · cabinet · bark · vault · lie

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — a position
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ground — the earth

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