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: racket · branch · cell · snap · stem · pitch · saw · mouse

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to click
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — a division
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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