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

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. field — for sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lean — thin
  8. drill — army training
  9. rock — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — of a river
  17. deal — to handle
  18. drill — a practice
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bat — the animal
  24. drill — the tool

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