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: bass · cell · tear · bulb · rush · firm · stand · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — decided
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — steady
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rush — to hurry

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