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: capital · clip · lash · trunk · press · prune · bank · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. capital — a city
  7. bank — of a river
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. clip — for paper
  14. capital — money
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. clip — a video
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — for money

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