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

Word bank: patient · press · snap · pitcher · mark · bulb · face · rule

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rule — government
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — a grade
  14. snap — to click
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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