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 · pitcher · trunk · pass · rest · nail · saw · season

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a line of people
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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