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: drill · stand · season · present · field · leaves · track · capital

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. field — for sport
  4. capital — a city
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. capital — money
  13. present — the time now
  14. field — a subject
  15. track — a song
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. track — a path
  20. field — farmland
  21. drill — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. season — of the year

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