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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. last — to go on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — final
  5. present — there
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mate — a partner
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — a container
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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