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: stick · branch · pitch · chest · squash · track · bowl · key

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — a division
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — a box
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — for a lock

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