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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · perch · fall · last · craft · mine · arm · temple

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mine — for digging
  4. last — finally
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — to drop
  12. last — to go on
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. perch — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — a part of something

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