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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. degree — temperature
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cold — not warm
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — the animal

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