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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · pit · fork · bulb · press · bass · mug · key

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mug — a face
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. press — to push
  14. key — in music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — a line
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bass — low music

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