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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. field — a subject
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. field — farmland
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — magic
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — for sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spell — a short time
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bowl — a football final

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