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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ground — a position
  8. drill — the tool
  9. game — wild animals
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — army training
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — to push
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — on a finger

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