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

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — a law
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. game — wild animals
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fork — in a road
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kid — to tease

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