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: foot · ground · bass · spring · last · file · prune · deal

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. last — final
  6. ground — a position
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. last — to go on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — the earth
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. file — a tool

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