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 124 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: snap · bound · bark · fork · wound · racket · date · stem

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — certain
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fork — in a road
  11. snap — to click
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stem — to come from
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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