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: patient · wound · file · trunk · chest · rock · press · plane

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — to push
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — a tool
  23. press — a publisher
  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