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: trunk · can · chair · calf · charge · cue · pitch · land

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — a signal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a hint
  14. charge — a price
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. calf — a young animal
  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