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: track · object · nail · tear · degree · bowl · trunk · wound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. object — to protest
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tear — to rip
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. degree — temperature
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. track — to keep track
  17. degree — an amount
  18. track — a song
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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