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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — for betting
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. press — to push
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — to paddle
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — a publisher
  13. capital — money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. row — a line
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — to eat
  24. jam — a tight spot

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