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: saw · mate · press · ground · stock · face · pound · club

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. press — to push
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — for golf
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. club — a group
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mate — a friend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for dancing

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