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: rush · bulb · court · key · sharp · wind · mate · press

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. press — to push
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bulb — for light
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — clever
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — in music

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