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 · rule · pitcher · bat · net · wax · wound · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — in sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. net — for catching
  6. rule — a law
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — after costs
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rule — government
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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