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: saw · bat · calf · fan · pitch · wax · present · spell

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — a gift
  6. bat — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. present — the time now
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spell — magic
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. present — there
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. spell — a short time

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