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 116 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: wind · present · squash · pass · cabinet · bark · chair · rest

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wind — moving air
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — there
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — of a tree

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