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: field · bore · net · toast · foot · coach · chair · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. toast — bread
  4. field — farmland
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — for catching
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. net — in sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — after costs
  21. field — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. arm — a part of something

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