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: bulb · temple · press · stand · mine · club · bowl · track

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. track — to keep track
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a path
  24. mine — an explosive

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