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: stem · rule · field · pitcher · patient · row · fine · bank

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — a law
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — of a river
  20. row — a line
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. field — for sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bank — for money

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