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: wound · pitch · craft · bear · chair · row · branch · vault

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. craft — boats
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — a line
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chair — a leader
  24. row — a quarrel

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