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: march · band · can · deal · press · net · bay · drill

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. march — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. march — the month
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — for catching
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — a practice
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — to push
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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