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: lie · track · board · land · trunk · file · rush · mate

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — hurry
  7. file — a document
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — ground
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — a country
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lie — an untruth

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