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: press · bulb · game · field · plane · stock · key · fan

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — to push
  8. game — wild animals
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — farmland
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stock — shares

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