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: land · fall · nail · cabinet · bass · press · suit · bulb

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. land — ground
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. press — newspapers
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fall — the season

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