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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cap — of ice
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. court — of a king
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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