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: toast · stock · net · shower · dip · pitch · branch · arm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — for catching
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — bread
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — a division
  24. shower — to wash

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