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 116 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: mouse · rest · swing · clip · field · charge · cell · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. field — farmland
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — a subject
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. charge — in control

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