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: stem · mouse · shower · fork · coach · pitcher · press · bulb

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. shower — rain
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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