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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. root — of a word
  3. clip — a video
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bound — certain
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. root — the cause
  10. clip — for paper
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — of a tree

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