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: coach · cap · calf · spell · bound · pitch · roll · fan

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spell — letters
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitch — completely
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — a cake
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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