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: arm · last · sharp · calf · shower · rule · kick · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — to wash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — in football
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. shower — rain
  23. last — to go on
  24. calf — of the leg

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