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: saw · scale · last · calf · pitch · pop · patient · rest

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — soda
  23. last — finally
  24. saw — the tool

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