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 116 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: saw · can · prune · sharp · bound · season · last · dip

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. last — to go on
  4. season — in sport
  5. last — final
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — finally
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — clever
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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