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: cue · stock · fall · patient · wave · ground · press · mark

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — to push
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fall — the season
  14. stock — goods
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a trace
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cue — a signal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — a position
  22. stock — shares
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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