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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — an aim
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. object — a thing
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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