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: bear · race · press · wake · clip · march

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. march — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. press — a publisher
  10. clip — a video
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. race — the arms race
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. race — humankind
  18. clip — to cut

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