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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — certain
  9. game — a match
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. present — there
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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