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: fall · branch · charge · chair · spring · pitch · temple · track

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spring — a coil
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. charge — electricity
  11. branch — a division
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitch — completely
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. charge — a price
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fall — the season
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. chair — a professorship

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