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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — for paper
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — bread
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — to push
  15. degree — an amount
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — newspapers

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