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 116 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: bat · fan · bark · nail · calf · coach · rule · pit

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — government
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rule — a law

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