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: branch · hand · bulb · leaves · pop · drill · field · press

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pop — to visit
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. hand — in cards
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — a subject
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. field — farmland

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