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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — to paddle
  7. object — an aim
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. march — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. march — the month
  17. object — to protest
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. object — a thing
  23. track — a path
  24. bark — of a tree

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