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: squash · swing · pitch · cabinet · foot · branch · mouse · cell

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — in golf
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. branch — a division
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — in a prison

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