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 · bear · press · drill · craft · temple · bulb · ground

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — a publisher
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — newspapers
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. drill — army training
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. drill — the tool

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