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: calf · mug · pitcher · file · staff · cabinet · branch · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a face
  7. bat — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a document
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. staff — a stick

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