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: tube · clip · current · net · saw · hide · bark · fork

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. net — for catching
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. current — electric
  11. net — in sport
  12. clip — for paper
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — a container
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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