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 · wound · calf · racket · bound · game · pitch · stem

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. game — wild animals
  4. court — of a king
  5. game — a match
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — of law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bound — obliged
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — tied together
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stem — to come from

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