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 120 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: net · mine · wake · rash · stem · bark · band · calf

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — to come from
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. band — a music group
  21. net — after costs
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — on the skin

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