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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chest — a box
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bass — low music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — the season
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — a song
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stem — to come from

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