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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. field — a subject
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. band — a ring
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pop — music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — soda
  18. season — of the year
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. land — ground
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — a country

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