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 · fork · ruler · press · cabinet · cold · staff · deal

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. march — the month
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. press — to push
  13. cold — not warm
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — to handle
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — an illness
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. march — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fork — in a road

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