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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rest — a break
  9. plane — a tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cell — in biology
  19. clip — a video
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. scale — in music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. clip — to cut

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