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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — there
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. field — for sport
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — a gift
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fall — the season
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — the time now
  21. field — farmland
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stand — to bear

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