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: rule · kick · rest · land · mouse · scale · last · deal

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kick — in football
  3. land — to come down
  4. last — finally
  5. scale — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. land — a country
  10. last — final
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — government
  14. rest — a break
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — ground

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