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: bear · band · squash · prune · rash · lean · tear · wave

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lean — to bend
  6. band — a music group
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — with your hand

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