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 120 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 · leaves · pound · rush · bank · capital · track · saw

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rush — hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — of a river
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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