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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — the cause
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. root — of a word

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