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: squash · foot · plane · prune · board · wake · file · chest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chest — of your body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — to crush
  17. board — a committee
  18. chest — a box
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. board — to get on
  23. foot — part of the body
  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