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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cold — an illness
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — side of the head

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