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: rock · chest · pass · prune · file · chip · lean · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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 car
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rock — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chest — a box
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a document
  23. prune — the fruit
  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