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: bark · pop · spring · trunk · scale · ground · bass · safe

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — a position
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spring — of water
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — the season
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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