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: prune · temple · spell · last · wax · wake · roll · foot

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — a measure
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. last — to go on
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spell — magic
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. roll — a list
  23. last — final
  24. wax — for sculpting

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