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: swing · pitcher · foot · cold · rest · pit · coach · charge

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a hole
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cold — not warm
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. charge — in control
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. swing — music

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