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 120 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 · pitcher · spell · field · bound · pass · wound · snap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to click
  10. bound — certain
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — obliged

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