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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rule — government
  7. field — for sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. club — for dancing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rule — a law
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — in football
  20. club — a group
  21. degree — an amount
  22. field — farmland
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — a subject

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