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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — help
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. current — of water
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stock — shares
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. press — to push
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stock — goods
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rash — a series

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