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: foot · squash · dip · sharp · field · prune · wake · arm

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — a subject
  5. squash — to crush
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to sink
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — farmland
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. dip — a sauce

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