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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bark — to shout
  7. capital — a city
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — clever
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — in geometry

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