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: land · rash · season · coach · foot · arm · sharp · can

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rash — hasty
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. can — to be able to
  10. land — a country
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — ground
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. land — to come down
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — a tin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. season — of the year
  24. sharp — exactly

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