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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — a thing
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. race — humankind
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a professorship

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