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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — to keep track
  7. clip — a video
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. track — a song
  12. clip — to cut
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — for paper
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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