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: coach · last · straw · mine · foot · arm · pound · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. mine — for digging
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pound — a weight
  20. last — final
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. last — to go on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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