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: nail · foot · bass · bulb · lie · stock · craft · clip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. bass — low music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a skill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — goods
  16. clip — to cut
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bass — the instrument

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