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: fine · ground · plane · lean · bark · chair · degree · staff

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ground — a position
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  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