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: press · rash · bark · mug · march · content · nail · degree

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bark — to shout
  8. march — the month
  9. degree — an amount
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — happy
  20. march — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rash — hasty
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — a face

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