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 · pitch · stand · calf · chip · kick · mug · field

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. field — for sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — a subject
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. field — farmland
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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