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: squash · season · stem · cue · calf · prune · cell · trunk

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cell — in biology
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cell — a phone

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