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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — obliged
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bound — certain
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — shares
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — goods
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stock — a soup base

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