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: deal · lie · prune · lean · band · degree · bear · stand

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. degree — from a university

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