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 · bear · current · saw · root · lash · season · wound

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. root — of a word
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wound — an injury
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — electric
  19. season — in sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a face
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — happening now

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