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: bowl · stand · game · bore · rash · stem · stick · field

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rash — hasty
  10. field — a subject
  11. game — a match
  12. field — farmland
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. bore — to drill
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bowl — a football final

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