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 · trunk · sharp · season · land · pitcher · foot · coach

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. season — of the year
  14. mate — a friend
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — a country
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — to breed

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