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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. press — a publisher
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rock — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. clip — for paper
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — to push

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