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: deal · spell · staff · calf · mouse · bark · kid · track

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — a path
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — a short time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spell — magic
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kid — child
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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