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: staff · wax · rule · fine · land · saw · calf · march

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — high quality
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. land — a country
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. march — the month
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. land — ground
  22. rule — government
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. march — music

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