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: season · wax · press · cap · stock · pass · game · stem

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. season — in sport
  11. press — to push
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stock — goods
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. season — of the year
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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