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: degree · fall · current · squash · arm · pitch · lean · branch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — happening now
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. current — of water
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — electric
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. degree — temperature

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