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: safe · mate · bulb · board · stem · last · ball · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a dance
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stem — to come from
  15. last — to go on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. last — final
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. board — to get on
  24. bark — to shout

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