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: trunk · file · clip · capital · cap · pop · current · lash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. file — a line of people
  6. current — of water
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. file — a document
  10. capital — money
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. clip — a video
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. current — electric
  20. cap — a hat
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pop — to visit
  23. capital — a city
  24. file — a tool

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