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: cap · cue · plane · branch · field · perch · stand · wound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cue — a signal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — a lid
  20. field — a subject
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — of ice

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