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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cold — an illness

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