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: staff · pound · leaves · lie · sharp · season · bark · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pound — a weight
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — for golf
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — to shout
  24. season — of the year

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