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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. club — for golf

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