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 · dip · ball · spell · nail · root · chair · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chair — a leader
  15. spell — magic
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a dance
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. root — the cause

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