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

Word bank: last · rule · row · branch · kick · rest

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. last — finally
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — to paddle
  8. last — final
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. kick — in football
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rest — a break
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. row — a quarrel

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