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: hand · foot · cap · coach · race · wave · bay · bear

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hand — in cards
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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