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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mate — a partner
  8. club — for golf
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — magic
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rash — a series
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — to come from
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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