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 120 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 · mine · root · straw · bulb · squash · tear · press

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. squash — to crush
  3. press — newspapers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. press — to push
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — a publisher

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