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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — to push
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — a stick
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — an illness
  23. staff — employees
  24. press — newspapers

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