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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — to push
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fork — in a road
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — to handle
  21. scale — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — newspapers

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