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: drill · branch · snap · roll · pitch · chest · last · plane

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — to go on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. branch — a division
  12. chest — a box
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. last — final
  17. roll — a list
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — a tool
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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