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: trunk · tear · cap · press · roll · nail · land · racket

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tear — to rip
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a lid
  7. land — to come down
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a hat
  18. roll — a cake
  19. press — to push
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — a list

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