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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — hasty
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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