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: file · kid · pass · land · track · stand · hide · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. file — a tool
  5. land — ground
  6. track — a song
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — a country
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — child
  15. track — to keep track
  16. file — a document
  17. track — a path
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — thin
  21. land — to come down
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to succeed

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