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: press · kid · game · march · mouse · mark · spring · stand

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — of water
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — a coil
  21. march — the month
  22. game — a match
  23. spring — the season
  24. march — music

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