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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — to protest
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — farmland
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. stem — to come from
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. content — happy
  14. roll — a cake
  15. field — for sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. field — a subject
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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