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 · press · ball · last · roll · current · land · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. land — ground
  3. roll — a cake
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. current — of water
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. last — final
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. last — to go on
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — electric
  15. land — a country
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — to come down
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. last — finally
  21. board — to get on
  22. roll — a list
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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