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 116 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: vault · fall · perch · pit · branch · kick · pass · pitch

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — the season

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