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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — completely
  21. clip — a video
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — the fish
  24. calf — a young animal

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