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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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