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: lash · rest · prune · calf · rule · board · field · shower

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — a law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — rain
  11. rest — a break
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. field — a subject
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — farmland
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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