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: pop · rash · bat · lash · lie · snap · wake · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to click
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. root — of a word
  19. pop — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — to visit
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — a trail

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