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 120 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: pass · press · mine · bass · squash · sharp · vault · bulb

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — a publisher
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — clever
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — to push
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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