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: root · lash · squash · rule · bear · tube · mine · sharp

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mine — for digging
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rule — a law

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