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: chip · spring · key · season · cabinet · bulb · press · plane

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. press — to push
  3. key — in music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — in sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — a publisher
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — the season
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. season — of the year

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