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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — a subject
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. cold — an illness
  17. squash — to crush
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ground — a position

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