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: stem · bass · wound · mark · trunk · staff · object · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wound — an injury
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. object — an aim
  9. bass — low music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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