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: track · root · file · race · rock · fall · pound · can

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rock — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. file — a document
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. race — a contest
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — the season
  24. root — of a word

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