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

Word bank: pitch · rash · fan · pop · calf · drill · bound · pitcher

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — a series
  3. pop — to visit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. drill — a practice
  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