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: deal · degree · cue · jam · bark · drill · bank · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. drill — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cue — for pool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — a practice

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