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: stick · degree · bark · leaves · lean · kid · deal · staff

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — temperature
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — child
  15. deal — to handle
  16. degree — from a university
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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