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: scale · bark · coach · calf · stem · pass · prune · trunk

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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