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 124 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. press — a publisher
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — to push
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — a coil
  15. net — in sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. net — after costs

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