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: race · calf · snap · board · pitch · court · lie · row

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. race — a contest
  10. court — of a king
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a line
  18. race — the arms race
  19. court — of law
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. court — for sport
  23. row — a quarrel
  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