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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a committee
  4. press — a publisher
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — government
  7. press — to push
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. press — newspapers
  13. board — to get on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rule — a law
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — tied together
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a line of people
  24. net — for catching

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