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: cue · press · ground · staff · march · stock · bear · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cue — for pool
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — a position
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. march — the month
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. press — to push

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