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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. row — a line
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — to come from
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. staff — a stick
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — of a plant

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