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: bat · spell · lean · foot · kid · content · coach · mate

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bat — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. content — happy
  13. kid — child
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lean — thin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — letters
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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