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: bore · bear · bulb · object · field · press · tube · fine

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. press — to push
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. press — a publisher
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — for sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. field — a subject
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bulb — for light

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