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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. capital — a city
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — the cause
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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