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: swing · safe · clip · trunk · wound · leaves · bulb · prune

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of a car

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