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: pitcher · can · bowl · rule · calf · hide · degree · chair

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rule — government
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. degree — temperature
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chair — to sit on

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