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: fine · perch · last · net · ground · craft · pass · prune

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. last — final
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — the earth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — boats
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. last — to go on
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — in sport
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ground — crushed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — finally

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