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: pitch · pitcher · bound · chest · mate · ball · squash · branch

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — obliged
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sports field

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