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: staff · deal · dip · game · lean · bark · kid · mouse

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — a stick
  5. dip — to sink
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. deal — to handle
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — to shout
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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