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 120 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: prune · pit · tear · last · temple · fan · foot · spring

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. last — final
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — finally
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. last — to go on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — the season
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — a coil

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