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: rush · pitch · branch · stem · rock · file · race · fan

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — a contest
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. branch — a division
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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