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 · land · cue · vault · spell · pit · dip · prune

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. land — ground
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — to go on
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — finally
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — a signal
  19. spell — letters
  20. pit — a hole
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — in a race

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