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: bass · tear · nail · plane · track · patient · file · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — low music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a song
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tear — from crying
  11. file — a line of people
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the fish
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tear — from crying
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — a path
  22. file — a tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — to keep track

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