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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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 — of the leg
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — completely
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. scale — size or range
  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