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: bat · can · saw · file · trunk · fan · face · club

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for golf
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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