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: suit · branch · key · season · chest · prune · pitch · straw

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. suit — to fit
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — clothes
  8. key — the most important part
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — in sport
  15. chest — a box
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — of your body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chest — of your body

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