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: present · chest · charge · can · bound · foot · coach · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. present — there
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — in control
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chest — a box
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — a price
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — the time now

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