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: leaves · lie · bat · squash · root · ball · rest · pass

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. root — the cause
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — to recline
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — a break
  15. ball — a great time
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. root — of a plant

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