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: content · pitch · root · rule · branch · current · chair · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chair — a leader
  4. root — the cause
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rule — a law
  11. branch — a division
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — government
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — electric
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. branch — of a bank

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