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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fine — high quality
  9. object — to protest
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. staff — a stick
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. roll — a list
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — an aim
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — a thing

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