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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — a box
  5. field — for sport
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — a division
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — in control
  11. land — to come down
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chest — of your body
  15. field — farmland
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bound — certain
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — a country
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a lid

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