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: press · ball · court · temple · chair · snap · bulb · lean

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. court — of law
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to click
  7. court — for sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lean — to bend
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lean — thin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chair — a leader
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of a king
  24. press — a publisher

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