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 · clip · vault · bear · stem · foot · roll · last

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. clip — to cut
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. clip — a video
  9. foot — a measure
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — to come from
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. last — to go on
  23. roll — a list
  24. clip — for paper

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