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: bat · mug · hand · sharp · coach · racket · ground · stand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ground — a position
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — a face
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. sharp — clever

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