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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · field · stand · mouse · pound · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pound — a weight
  3. field — farmland
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. club — a group
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. club — for dancing
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — to bear
  18. march — music

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