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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — obliged
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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