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 · capital · bark · bound · wake · mouse · saw · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. capital — money
  18. bound — tied together
  19. capital — a city
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. prune — to trim
  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