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: swing · saw · bowl · file · trunk · bound · fall · root

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. file — a document
  11. fall — the season
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bound — tied together
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — the cause
  24. bowl — a football final

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