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 124 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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — boats
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. content — the amount
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — to crush
  24. prune — to trim

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