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: temple · present · bark · cabinet · bound · board · arm · cold

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. board — a committee
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — to get on
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. present — the time now
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cold — not warm
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cold — an illness

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