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: scale · bowl · trunk · last · tear · board · nail · land

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. land — a country
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. land — to come down
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — to go on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. last — finally
  9. tear — from crying
  10. last — final
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. land — ground
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. board — a committee

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