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: capital · coach · hand · kid · wound · rash · lie · foot

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. capital — a city
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rash — a series
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kid — to tease
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kid — child
  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