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: fan · bulb · key · prune · jam · pitcher · last · chest

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chest — a box
  7. last — final
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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