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: mine · face · calf · trunk · capital · lash · last · press

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. capital — a city
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. last — final
  10. face — to confront
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. last — finally
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. last — to go on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. capital — money
  24. lash — an eyelash

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