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: face · fan · branch · kick · pitch · press · scale · sharp

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — completely
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. scale — size or range
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. press — to push

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