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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — a subject
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — in sport
  6. game — a match
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stand — to bear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. field — for sport
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — farmland
  22. bank — for money
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — for spectators

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