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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — after costs
  6. squash — to crush
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — for catching
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. roll — a list

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