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: mark · date · arm · can · bank · bat · last · perch

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. last — finally
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. last — to go on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — for a bird

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