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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. object — to protest
  5. capital — money
  6. last — to go on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — final
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — finally
  18. firm — a company
  19. object — an aim
  20. firm — steady
  21. fall — the season
  22. capital — a city
  23. object — a thing
  24. arm — part of the body

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