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: mate · coach · trunk · file · pitch · foot · fine · season

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fine — high quality
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mate — a partner
  15. season — of the year
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. file — a line of people
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — to add flavour

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