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: clip · net · root · wound · bark · current · bulb · chip

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. root — the cause
  10. bark — to shout
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — a video
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a word
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — for paper

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