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: track · band · file · trunk · deal · net · mouse · hide

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. net — for catching
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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