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: wind · stick · wax · face · squash · ball · can · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — to confront
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — to crush
  24. can — to be able to

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