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: net · wake · bank · press · rest · stock · racket · degree

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — for catching
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — to push
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — goods
  11. degree — an amount
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wake — a trail
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — shares
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — of a river
  23. net — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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