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 · fork · bowl · arm · field · rest · safe · land

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rule — government
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — ground
  10. rule — a law
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. rest — a break
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — a country
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rest — what's left

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