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 · rush · craft · pitch · branch · degree · drill · scale

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — size or range
  9. degree — an amount
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. degree — temperature
  22. drill — army training
  23. branch — a division
  24. rush — hurry

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