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: bound · march · date · press · bear · stick · fall · mark

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — certain
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — the season
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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