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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — a law
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — a break
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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