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: rush · ground · temple · arm · mark · saw · last · pound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. last — final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. last — finally
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — a position
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — side of the head

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