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 · firm · leaves · squash · foot · degree · perch · face

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — a measure
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. firm — steady
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — to point toward
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — a company
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — decided
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. squash — the vegetable

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