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: present · bass · hide · hand · branch · mug · calf · pitch

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — there
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — the time now
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — help
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — a division
  24. bass — the fish

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