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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — thin
  5. last — final
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. degree — an amount
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — a publisher

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