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: net · chest · safe · bark · lash · last · rule · toast

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. last — final
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chest — of your body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — a box
  10. last — finally
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — in sport
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. net — after costs
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. toast — bread
  23. rule — government
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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