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 · lean · bat · branch · arm · tube · temple · degree

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. degree — an amount
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — thin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. degree — from a university
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. degree — temperature
  24. arm — part of the body

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