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 · band · ground · stand · season · row · land · branch

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — a practice
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. drill — army training
  11. band — a music group
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — a division
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a ring
  16. land — to come down
  17. season — of the year
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stand — to bear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. land — ground

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