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: arm · cap · last · pit · temple · saw · bound · spell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — to go on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spell — magic
  10. bound — obliged
  11. last — final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spell — letters
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — finally
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spell — a short time
  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