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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. toast — bread
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bear — the animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — army training
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. wind — moving air
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. clip — a video

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