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: rash · band · bat · root · bulb · race · hide · lean

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. band — a music group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. root — of a plant
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lean — thin
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. race — a contest
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rash — a series

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