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 · branch · kick · mate · straw · march · can · deal

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — to breed
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mate — a friend

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