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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. land — to come down
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. field — farmland
  7. degree — an amount
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — for sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. spell — a short time
  12. land — a country
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — thin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — a subject
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spell — letters

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