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 120 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: pop · pitch · march · branch · pound · field · can · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. field — farmland
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — a subject
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. march — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — for sport
  24. march — the month

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