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: craft · mate · file · prune · stem · lash · bark · bass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mate — a friend
  14. file — a document
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mate — a partner
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — boats

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