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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — of law
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cell — in biology

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