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: board · branch · season · mark · game · pitcher · last · scale

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. season — of the year
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. game — a match
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. last — final
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — to go on
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — wild animals
  23. scale — in music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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