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

Word bank: march · drill · craft · hide · stick · press

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. 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. craft — boats
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a skill
  9. march — music
  10. drill — army training
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — the tool
  18. 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