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: branch · bat · hand · bank · press · nail · pitch · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — to push
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hand — in cards
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — a publisher
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — newspapers

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