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: can · coach · wound · pitch · pop · bear · wake · net

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — for catching
  9. wake — a trail
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pop — soda
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — in sport

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