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: band · game · cue · racket · branch · pitcher · squash · prune

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. band — a music group
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cue — a signal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a ring
  23. cue — a hint
  24. racket — for tennis

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