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: staff · shower · march · stem · lash · cue · bark · calf

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. march — the month
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. shower — rain
  23. staff — a stick
  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