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: hide · wax · bulb · press · spell · nail · bat · straw

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — to push
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — magic
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. press — newspapers

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