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: tear · rush · root · last · lean · kid · squash · bulb

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tear — from crying
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — the cause
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kid — to tease
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. last — finally
  11. kid — child
  12. last — to go on
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. root — of a word
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — to bend

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