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: stand · branch · pound · cap · staff · mark · bat · field

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. field — farmland
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — a division
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — of ice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — a subject
  24. bat — the animal

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