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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. scale — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a ring
  6. date — the fruit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. band — a music group
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. track — a path

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