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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. press — a publisher
  3. drill — the tool
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — happening now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — steady
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. shower — rain
  16. drill — army training
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — electric

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