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 · temple · firm · deal · last · clip · club · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. firm — steady
  4. last — final
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — for paper
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — for dancing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. club — a group
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — decided
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — for golf
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — to cut
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  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