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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. field — for sport
  7. game — a match
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mine — for digging
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — help

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