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: date · current · wake · stock · swing · racket · land · press

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — ground
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. land — to come down
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. swing — music
  12. land — a country
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — shares
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — electric
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — goods
  24. date — on the calendar

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