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: band · pit · file · spell · field · suit · lash · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — letters
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. file — a document
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a line of people

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