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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — government
  9. vault — a safe
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. press — newspapers
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. file — a document
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. press — a publisher
  22. file — a tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. capital — a city

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