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: rest · bark · saw · mine · firm · chip · stem · content

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — a break
  5. content — happy
  6. stem — to come from
  7. firm — steady
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chip — for betting
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. content — the amount
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mine — for digging
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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