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: firm · bank · row · cell · current · stock · press · patient

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. current — of water
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. firm — a company
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — to paddle
  7. current — electric
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — to push
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — shares
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bank — of a river
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — a phone
  24. current — happening now

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