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: board · roll · press · craft · cabinet · stem · field · net

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — a subject
  7. net — after costs
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — to come from
  10. press — newspapers
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — for sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. board — to get on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. press — to push
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — in sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. roll — a cake

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