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 120 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: bowl · face · press · temple · prune · band · board · stock

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to confront
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. prune — to trim
  9. band — a music group
  10. press — to push
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stock — goods
  15. press — newspapers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to point toward
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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