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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — a publisher
  7. club — a group
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a match
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — to push
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — for golf
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — wild animals

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