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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — in sport
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. object — a thing
  7. field — for sport
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. field — farmland
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — to handle
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — to shout
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. object — an aim
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. field — a subject
  23. capital — money
  24. bark — of a tree

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