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: staff · clip · fall · object · coach · lean · pound · bark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — to protest
  5. clip — to cut
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. object — an aim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fall — the season
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lean — thin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — a thing
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. staff — employees

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