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: rest · fork · perch · saw · rush · branch · rule · land

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. land — ground
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — a country
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fork — in a road
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. land — to come down
  17. rule — a law
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — a break
  24. rule — to rule out

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