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: prune · mark · straw · cue · kid · bear · bulb · bark

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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