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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. club — a group
  8. field — a subject
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. field — for sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. club — for golf

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