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: rock · jam · patient · leaves · wake · prune · bass · bark

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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