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: leaves · bark · spring · chip · mark · lie · degree · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. spring — the season
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mark — a grade
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — to recline
  24. leaves — lets stay

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