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: stand · cap · bark · rock · rule · toast · chair · ground

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rule — a law
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. rock — music
  15. rule — government
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rock — to move gently

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