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: bark · mate · wake · stem · bore · temple · game · prune

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — a match
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bark — to shout
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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