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: fine · trunk · bulb · pitcher · branch · root · pitch · mate

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — the cause
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of a car

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