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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a hat
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — farmland
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fall — to drop

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