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: firm · press · present · nail · bank · rest · last · stock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. last — finally
  5. stock — shares
  6. present — a gift
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — of a river
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — a company
  14. present — there
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — the time now
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — on a finger

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