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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pop — soda
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. last — to go on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. race — humankind
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — for spectators

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