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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. degree — from a university
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. degree — an amount
  9. press — newspapers
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. press — to push
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — certain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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