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: pitcher · cap · track · calf · stick · land · nail · capital

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a path
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — ground
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. land — to come down
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — a country
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — a city
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. calf — a young animal

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