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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — the cause
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — to push
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rock — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. press — newspapers
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. shower — rain
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bat — the animal
  24. key — in music

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