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: chip · calf · game · rule · march · ruler · land · branch

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. land — ground
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — a country
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — a division

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