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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a trace
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bank — of a river
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bulb — for light

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