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 · press · chip · band · pit · current · staff · drill

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. march — music
  3. current — happening now
  4. chip — to eat
  5. band — a music group
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pit — a hole
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. current — of water
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — a stick
  23. current — electric
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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