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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — crushed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ground — a position
  11. kick — in football
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. degree — an amount
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. degree — from a university

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