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: pop · racket · row · object · bass · bark · stem · present

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — to protest
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — to come from
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — a line
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pop — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. racket — for tennis

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