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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  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