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: trunk · can · field · mouse · bear · stem · rash · bark

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bark — of a tree

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