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: swing · branch · lash · coach · chest · ruler · pitch · roll

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — in golf
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. branch — a division
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — a box
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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