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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bark — to shout
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. race — humankind
  9. rule — a law
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stem — to come from
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rule — government
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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