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: spell · field · face · dip · fork · prune · coach · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — letters
  6. field — for sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. squash — the sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fork — in a road
  13. field — a subject
  14. face — to confront
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — a trainer

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