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: cabinet · mate · lie · bark · chair · content · cold · firm

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. firm — steady
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — the amount
  19. firm — decided
  20. bark — to shout
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — a company
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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