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: pitch · court · chest · branch · mouse · deal · club · jam

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. court — for sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. club — for golf
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. court — of law
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — a group
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. court — of a king
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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