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: press · rule · snap · dip · club · pound · degree · bulb

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pound — a weight
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. club — a group
  10. degree — from a university
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for golf
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rule — a law
  22. press — to push
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — temperature

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