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: swing · stock · lean · prune · press · chip · calf · fine

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — thin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stock — goods
  10. fine — all right
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chip — for betting

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