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: lean · season · kid · coach · pitcher · racket · root · bay

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a word
  12. kid — child
  13. root — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kid — to tease
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. root — the cause

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