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: cabinet · rock · chair · press · can · bulb · hide · plane

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. press — to push
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — a tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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