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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — a subject
  6. pop — music
  7. field — farmland
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — of ice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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