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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a face
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. capital — a city
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. capital — money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. trunk — of a car

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