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: game · chest · pitch · coach · drill · swing · foot · spell

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — a short time
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — letters
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — in golf
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. swing — to play on
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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