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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — there
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — the time now
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — a gift
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. court — of a king
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — obliged
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. court — of law
  23. bound — certain
  24. mark — a grade

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