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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — finally
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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