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: staff · trunk · clip · last · charge · fork · pitch · lash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. last — finally
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — completely
  5. charge — in control
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. last — to go on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — a price
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — a video
  18. fork — in a road
  19. charge — electricity
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. clip — to cut
  23. last — final
  24. fork — to eat with

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