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: pitcher · sharp · mine · press · bulb · wake · board · vault

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. vault — a safe
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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