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: bass · fall · branch · pitch · stock · bowl · vault · foot

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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