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 120 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: march · can · branch · pitch · clip · spell · degree · leaves

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. branch — a division
  4. march — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spell — letters
  8. clip — for paper
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — temperature
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. clip — a video
  19. spell — a short time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. degree — an amount
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — completely
  24. degree — from a university

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