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 · degree · capital · pass · safe · branch · stock · march

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitch — completely
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. capital — money
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. pass — to spend time

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