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: cell · date · capital · pound · net · pass · arm · last

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. net — for catching
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pound — a weight
  6. capital — money
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — a city
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. last — final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. last — to go on
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cell — a phone
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. net — in sport
  23. last — finally
  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