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: branch · craft · pitcher · row · bat · press · mouse · last

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. bat — the animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — to go on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. branch — a division
  19. row — to paddle
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. press — to push
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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