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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — help
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kid — child
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kid — to tease
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — a publisher
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — to push
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pound — a weight
  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