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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — a box
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. press — a publisher
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — to push
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a line

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