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: stem · branch · fine · chest · sharp · mug · press · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fine — all right
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mug — to rob
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chest — a box
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mug — a face

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