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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — after costs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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