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: foot · bark · scale · club · sharp · lean · lie · chair

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chair — a leader
  6. foot — a measure
  7. scale — in music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — size or range
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — for weighing

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