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: press · bound · bark · bulb · land · cap · pitcher · rock

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — tied together
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — music
  13. press — to push
  14. cap — a lid
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — of ice
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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