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: rush · swing · lean · key · field · chair · branch · stick

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. field — for sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — farmland
  9. swing — music
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. key — in music
  12. branch — a division
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chair — a leader

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