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: stand · wind · trunk · track · wake · fan · sharp · squash

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wind — moving air
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stand — to bear

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