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: track · toast · date · wind · press · pop · present · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. present — there
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — to keep track
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — a gift
  10. track — a path
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — the time now
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a song
  16. press — to push
  17. march — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — bread
  24. pop — music

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