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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. present — the time now
  5. kid — child
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — there
  12. object — to protest
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — a tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — a gift
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. plane — an aircraft

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