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: lie · wax · rest · cold · foot · bark · chair · cue

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rest — a break
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wax — to grow

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