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: root · wound · season · rush · lie · bass · band · content

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — of a word
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — in sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a music group
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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