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

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — electric
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. stock — goods
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — a permit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. current — happening now
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — to push
  24. board — a flat piece

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