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: clip · mine · coach · fork · leaves · nail · arm · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. clip — to cut
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fork — in a road
  24. leaves — to go away

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