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 116 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 · chair · can · wake · tube · mug · stock · bulb

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tube — a container
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chair — a leader
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a face
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — a professorship

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