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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fall — the season
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. scale — in music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. root — of a word
  22. fall — to drop
  23. root — the cause
  24. branch — a division

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