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: wake · branch · bark · pop · stem · chest · court · charge

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chest — of your body
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — of your body
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. branch — a division
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — a price
  18. chest — a box
  19. pop — music
  20. court — of law
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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