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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stem — to come from
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a committee
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bark — to shout

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