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: mug · lean · tube · face · trunk · root · sharp · rock

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — to confront
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — to bend
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. tube — a container
  23. sharp — clever
  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