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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — to bear
  4. net — in sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — for sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — after costs
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. field — farmland
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chair — a leader
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. tube — the underground

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