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: last · roll · cabinet · wind · prune · court · mouse · firm

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. last — finally
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — a company
  13. court — of law
  14. firm — steady
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — decided
  20. court — of a king
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — a cake
  23. last — final
  24. wind — to turn a key

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