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: bark · tube · clip · fork · craft · lash · net · object

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. net — in sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. clip — to cut
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — the underground
  12. object — a thing
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. net — after costs
  16. fork — in a road
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. clip — for paper
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. object — an aim
  23. clip — a video
  24. fork — a garden tool

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