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: bark · vault · object · straw · degree · mark · kid · board

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — an aim
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. object — to protest
  8. mark — a trace
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kid — to tease
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. board — to get on
  20. vault — a safe
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bark — to shout
  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