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: swing · lie · hide · bat · stand · ground · wake · can

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. swing — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bat — for baseball

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