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: branch · deal · perch · game · face · wound · pitch · ball

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — to handle
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ball — a great time
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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