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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — a price
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — a trail
  24. charge — in control

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