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: nail · last · court · mine · safe · chip · prune · scale

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. last — final
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — of law
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — in music
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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