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: file · saw · trunk · pound · court · jam · lean · season

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. file — a tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a document
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lean — thin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lean — to bend

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