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: march · field · spring · present · bank · tube · row · stand

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tube — the underground
  4. field — farmland
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — the month
  9. present — a gift
  10. march — the month
  11. present — the time now
  12. field — a subject
  13. row — a line
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. march — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — the season
  20. present — there
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — to paddle
  23. spring — of water
  24. row — a quarrel

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