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 116 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: charge · press · cabinet · saw · pop · march · present · drill

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — soda
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — to push
  14. march — music
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. drill — a practice
  21. charge — a price
  22. drill — the tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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