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

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bass — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in biology
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — after costs
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — for catching
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. net — in sport
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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