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: snap · bulb · bark · ground · cabinet · bear · press · kid

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. press — a publisher
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. kid — child
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — to shout

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