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: stem · rock · press · cold · stand · net · present · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. press — a publisher
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. present — a gift
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — for catching
  14. press — newspapers
  15. net — after costs
  16. present — there
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rock — music
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — the time now
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. press — to push

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