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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. sharp — exactly

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