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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. stem — to come from
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. march — the month
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bay — a horse colour

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