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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bound — tied together
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — to push
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — a publisher
  24. kick — a thrill

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