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 120 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: wind · arm · game · fall · track · root · drill · trunk

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. drill — army training
  5. fall — the season
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — a path
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — a match
  16. track — to keep track
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. root — of a word

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