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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. field — for sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. field — a subject
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — farmland
  24. foot — a measure

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