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: mate · rest · prune · jam · fan · pitcher · last · snap

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a friend
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. last — to go on
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to click
  13. mate — a partner
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. jam — in traffic

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