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 · last · hand · stock · date · prune · mate · board

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. last — finally
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — help
  8. last — final
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — to push
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. last — to go on
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — to get on
  23. stock — goods
  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