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 · degree · club · cue · squash · drill · mark · stand

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bark — to shout
  8. drill — army training
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — an amount
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. squash — to crush
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cue — a hint
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cue — for pool
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. degree — temperature

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