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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — in biology
  3. field — a subject
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — a permit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — for sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. arm — a part of something

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