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: ball · current · press · cue · root · bulb · content · clip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. content — the amount
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a great time
  5. clip — for paper
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. current — of water
  12. press — a publisher
  13. root — of a word
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — the cause
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a plant
  23. content — happy
  24. cue — a signal

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