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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. field — farmland
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rock — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — hurry
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — a practice

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