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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. march — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to sink
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. content — happy
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bound — tied together
  20. press — to push
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — the month
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pitch — a sports field

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