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

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — a face
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stem — to come from
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stem — a stem cell

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