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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — to push
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. press — a publisher
  17. march — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a music group

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