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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. field — for sport
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. field — a subject
  14. band — a ring
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — a measure
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — to get on
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a music group

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