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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pound — a weight
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — the cause
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mark — a trace
  12. root — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a word
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. last — to go on

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