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: mine · field · swing · stand · bass · wind · dip · toast

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. field — farmland
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. swing — in golf
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. field — for sport
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. toast — bread
  24. field — a subject

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