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 116 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: leaves · bark · clip · trunk · bay · ruler · content · prune

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. clip — a video
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. clip — for paper
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — to shout
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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