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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. degree — temperature
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — in sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spell — letters
  17. court — of law
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — of the year
  21. degree — an amount
  22. spell — magic
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — of a plant

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