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: field · stand · tear · bulb · craft · degree · cap · firm

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tear — from crying
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. firm — steady
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — boats
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tear — to rip
  15. field — farmland
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. field — a subject
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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