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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — a break
  9. last — to go on
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — final
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — a cup
  19. last — finally
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cold — an illness
  24. can — to be able to

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