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: foot · coach · pitcher · wave · bore · ground · straw · chest

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ground — a position
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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