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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one 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. field — farmland
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bark — to shout
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. field — a subject
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  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