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 120 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: file · stock · pop · nail · temple · tear · press · object

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pop — soda
  8. object — a thing
  9. pop — music
  10. file — a document
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. file — a tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — to push
  19. pop — to visit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. file — a line of people
  23. press — newspapers
  24. object — to protest

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