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 116 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: bark · snap · wound · chair · deal · lie · staff · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — employees
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. snap — to click
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bark — to shout

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