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 116 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: stock · wave · cold · press · sharp · land · bound · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — not warm
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stock — shares
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stock — goods
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cold — an illness
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — to come down
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — certain
  24. land — ground

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