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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — a song
  5. clip — a video
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — to shout
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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