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: calf · perch · rest · roll · rule · kid · capital · deal

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. roll — a list
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kid — to tease
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — to handle
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. roll — a cake
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. capital — a city
  24. deal — an agreement

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