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: pound · march · kick · rock · content · press · date · club

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. content — the amount
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. content — happy
  17. march — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — a group
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — the month

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