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: row · wound · lean · file · trunk · pit · track · fan

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. track — a path
  3. row — a line
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a line of people
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. file — a document
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. file — a tool
  23. track — a song
  24. pit — a hole

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