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: press · stock · foot · date · temple · patient · fork · rash

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — goods
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stock — shares
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — a measure
  24. press — newspapers

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