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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. degree — temperature
  7. branch — a division
  8. face — to point toward
  9. squash — to crush
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. degree — an amount
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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