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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — a law
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. spring — of water
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. scale — in music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. scale — size or range

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