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: stand · bat · can · swing · wake · field · coach · trunk

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — in golf
  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