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

Word bank: coach · leaves · field · face · trunk · last · fall · pass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — finally
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — a permit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — final
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. face — to point toward

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