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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. press — newspapers
  3. present — a gift
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cell — a phone
  8. present — the time now
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — thin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cell — in biology
  19. press — a publisher
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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