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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a song
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rule — government
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — magic
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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