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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · field · cell · ruler · charge · bound · bark · trunk

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — a subject
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. prune — to trim
  17. field — farmland
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cell — in a prison

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