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: rush · key · pit · club · cap · trunk · foot · clip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — the most important part
  7. foot — a measure
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cap — of ice
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. clip — a video
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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