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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. degree — from a university
  3. game — wild animals
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — an amount
  7. content — the amount
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — tied together
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. game — a match
  13. current — happening now
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bound — certain
  18. press — to push
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. press — newspapers
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  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