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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. last — to go on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — army training
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. press — to push
  13. last — final
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. drill — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — before a funeral

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