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 116 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: lie · rush · root · pop · land · trunk · squash · mine

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. land — to come down
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pop — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pop — soda
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. land — a country
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — a thrill

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