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: content · cell · tube · fine · field · patient · cap · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — for sport
  10. content — the amount
  11. fine — all right
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — to bear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — happy
  18. cap — a lid
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — for spectators

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