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: stock · press · mug · bulb · lie · rush · sharp · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. press — to push
  3. mug — a face
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — in a road
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — shares
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — exactly

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