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: bank · file · stand · track · mine · plane · wind · root

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. file — a document
  18. track — a path
  19. stand — to bear
  20. root — the cause
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — in geometry

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