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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — to keep track
  3. field — farmland
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rash — a series
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. bound — obliged
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — hasty
  15. track — a path
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — certain
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — to come from
  22. content — happy
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — for sport

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