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: rock · root · band · lie · trunk · tear · stand · squash

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — of a word
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — to crush

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