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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a great time
  9. drill — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. drill — army training
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cell — in a prison

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