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 · press · patient · fine · current · content · stand · mug

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. field — farmland
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stand — to bear
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mug — a cup
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — to rob
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — to push
  17. current — of water
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. field — a subject
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mug — a face

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