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: pass · drill · race · wound · swing · field · stem · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stem — to come from
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — army training
  10. field — for sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. race — humankind
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. race — the arms race
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. field — farmland
  24. race — a contest

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