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: spring · bark · can · march · key · press · mark · stock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — a trace
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stock — shares
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. march — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — goods
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — in music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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