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: fork · clip · mouse · craft · track · bulb · bark · wound

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bark — to shout
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. track — to keep track
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. craft — boats
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a path
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  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