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: leaves · fall · swing · foot · bay · coach · field · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — a measure
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. last — finally
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. field — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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