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: calf · snap · wake · racket · land · lie · pitch · bat

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. land — a country
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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