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 116 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: hand · fall · row · track · leaves · tube · file · stand

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — to bear
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. hand — help
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fall — the season
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. row — a line
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — for spectators

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