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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — for golf
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chip — to eat
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rule — a law
  17. club — a group
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — for dancing
  21. sharp — clever
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. racket — for tennis

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