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 120 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: deal · bulb · sharp · staff · press · game · season · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. game — a match
  6. court — of a king
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — to handle
  17. court — of law
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — wild animals

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