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: present · last · clip · rock · object · leaves · bark · stem

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. clip — for paper
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. object — an aim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — music
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. object — a thing
  17. bark — to shout
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — final
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. last — to go on
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rock — to move gently
  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