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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. tube — a container
  3. court — of a king
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — from a university
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — the underground
  14. degree — an amount
  15. key — for a lock
  16. court — of law
  17. hand — help
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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