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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — to come from
  3. club — for golf
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — a group
  7. current — of water
  8. field — for sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — the time now
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. current — electric
  14. club — for dancing
  15. field — farmland
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. current — happening now
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. field — a subject
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chip — to eat

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