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: toast · branch · pitcher · deal · root · club · ball · spell

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — magic
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — bread
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — letters
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — to handle
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. deal — a big deal

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