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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. file — a document
  12. drill — army training
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kick — in football
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — to keep track
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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