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: rule · cabinet · content · bass · rest · wake · land · bark

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — happy
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — a country
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — low music
  12. rule — government
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. land — ground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. land — to come down
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rule — a law

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