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: content · cabinet · foot · stick · spell · ground · deal · bark

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. content — the amount
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — to shout
  7. spell — letters
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — a short time
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. content — happy
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — magic
  24. cabinet — ministers

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