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: nail · bound · kick · march · club · pitcher · press · track

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — obliged
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. club — for golf
  6. kick — in football
  7. club — a group
  8. march — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — a publisher
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for dancing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — newspapers

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