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: mine · charge · lie · stem · branch · ground · pitch · temple

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — a position
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stem — to come from

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