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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — music
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — in golf
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bulb — for light

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