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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. band — a ring
  4. field — a subject
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — bread
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. band — a music group
  10. field — for sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — a tin
  22. field — farmland
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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