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: bank · pound · saw · arm · net · rest · date · file

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. file — a line of people
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bank — for money
  18. date — the fruit
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — of a river
  22. file — a document
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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