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: track · pitch · rule · mug · prune · rash · branch · capital

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — a law
  5. mug — a face
  6. rash — a series
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. capital — money
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — a city
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitch — completely
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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