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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — in a race

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