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: press · cabinet · net · staff · march · track · patient · saw

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — to push
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. press — a publisher
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. net — in sport
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. march — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — a path

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