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 · roll · hand · march · mate · stock · chip · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mate — a friend
  12. press — a publisher
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — help
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. march — music
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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