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 · stand · ball · press · spell · fine · clip · vault

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — a publisher
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a dance
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. march — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. clip — a video
  21. press — to push
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — a safe

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