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: hide · court · pop · can · pitcher · capital · stick · fall

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — a city
  19. fall — the season
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — music
  23. capital — money
  24. court — of law

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