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: plane · last · temple · prune · roll · scale · present · pound

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. present — the time now
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — a gift
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. last — final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — a list
  21. scale — in music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — there
  24. pound — a weight

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