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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cell — a phone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. file — a tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. march — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a document
  23. stem — to come from
  24. march — the month

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