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: board · kid · game · calf · pitch · land · can · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — ground
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. game — a match
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. game — wild animals
  13. land — a country
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — child
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitch — a sports field

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