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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. shower — rain
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — newspapers
  24. staff — employees

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