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 · wind · mate · squash · toast · mug · ground

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mug — a face
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ground — crushed
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mate — to breed
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — a position
  21. wind — moving air
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. toast — bread

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