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 · suit · racket · calf · wave · trunk · firm · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. suit — in cards
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — of law
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. firm — decided
  17. court — of a king
  18. firm — a company
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wave — with your hand

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