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: clip · fork · rest · fine · spring · charge · trunk · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — all right
  6. spring — a coil
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spring — the season
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. clip — a video
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — in a road
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rest — what's left

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