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: racket · wound · pitch · bear · game · calf · hand · spell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — magic
  5. game — a match
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. game — a kind of play

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