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

Word bank: craft · ground · file · mouse · row · bass · nail · clip

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — the earth
  3. clip — for paper
  4. file — a document
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — boats
  12. file — a tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ground — a position
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bass — low music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. row — a line

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