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: pit · press · march · rest · race · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. march — music
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — in a race
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — humankind
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — a break

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