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: pound · wound · stem · field · firm · bowl · mine · pass

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — a permit
  3. field — farmland
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. firm — a company
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — a subject
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. field — for sport
  23. firm — steady
  24. bowl — a dish

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