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 116 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: pitcher · degree · rule · bark · lean · chip · dip · cell

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — thin
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. degree — an amount
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. dip — to sink
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rule — to rule out

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