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: mug · cell · bark · nail · bear · prune · pound · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mug — a face
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bear — the animal

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