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: bark · cue · tube · prune · wake · staff · branch · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — employees
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — a stick
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — a container
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — in a tire

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