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: net · foot · coach · cell · mug · cabinet · mate · march

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — a cup
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mate — a partner
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — in sport
  22. march — music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. foot — a measure

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