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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — a tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — to crush
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rash — a series
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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