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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bass — low music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bank — for money

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