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 120 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: can · saw · calf · bay · wake · court · swing · pitcher

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wake — before a funeral

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