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: court · lie · jam · coach · calf · pitch · season · hide

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — of law
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — an untruth

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