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: bulb · pitch · calf · branch · degree · coach · capital · snap

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. degree — an amount
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — a city
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bulb — for light
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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