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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a line
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cell — a phone
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. game — a match
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. staff — employees
  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