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: game · prune · march · press · present · net · key · chip

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — a gift
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. march — music
  7. present — there
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — the time now
  11. key — the most important part
  12. press — to push
  13. key — for a lock
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — to eat
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. press — a publisher
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — wild animals

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