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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pop — soda
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. foot — a measure
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — to play on
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. field — a subject
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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