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: pitch · face · drill · calf · mine · cell · patient · bass

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — a practice
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mine — for digging
  11. drill — army training
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. face — to point toward
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bass — low music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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