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 120 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 · club · scale · board · game · leaves · degree · staff

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. degree — from a university
  6. board — a committee
  7. degree — temperature
  8. game — wild animals
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — for dancing
  11. staff — employees
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. game — a match
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for golf
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — a group
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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