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: board · file · present · capital · saw · ground · nail · trunk

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a document
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — a position
  20. capital — a city
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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