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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. game — a match
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bass — low music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the fish
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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