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: pop · clip · straw · ball · mouse · craft · bulb · fall

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — music
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — to drop
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pop — to visit
  22. craft — boats
  23. fall — the season
  24. ball — a dance

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