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: track · bat · season · cap · stand · wake · mug · lie

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a song
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. season — in sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — on your feet

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