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: temple · suit · hand · press · board · wind · branch · cue

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — to push
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a committee
  13. suit — in cards
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wind — moving air
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hand — help
  24. press — a publisher

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