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: hide · trunk · cabinet · spell · chair · clip · pit · bank

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spell — magic
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — a video
  24. trunk — of a tree

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