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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kick — in football
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — clothes

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