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: staff · pitch · cap · dip · straw · branch · scale · root

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a plant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cap — a lid
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — of ice
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. staff — a stick

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