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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — to rule out

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