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: band · patient · field · stem · roll · mate · mug · pound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stem — to come from
  15. roll — a list
  16. pound — a weight
  17. roll — a cake
  18. band — a music group
  19. mug — a face
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a friend

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