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 · mine · pound · prune · ground · bay · band

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. band — a music group
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. roll — a list
  9. last — finally
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — a position
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — final
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. last — to go on
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — a weight
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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