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: pitcher · branch · bear · lean · pitch · field · coach · band

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — for sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. band — a music group
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. field — farmland

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