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: ball · pitcher · pitch · branch · game · season · prune · rock

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitch — completely
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — of the year
  18. game — a match
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. branch — a division
  21. game — wild animals
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitcher — a jug

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