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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spring — a coil
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — the season
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — to push
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — the animal

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