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

Word bank: capital · pitch · foot · arm · bark · racket · pitcher · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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