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: file · face · game · nail · bay · pound · chip · trunk

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. face — to confront
  7. file — a tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. file — a line of people
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. file — a document
  21. game — a match
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a horse colour

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