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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. club — for dancing
  3. press — to push
  4. club — for golf
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. club — a group
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — thin
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. snap — to click
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — newspapers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to bend
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. march — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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