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: season · bowl · root · content · mug · rule · mine · temple

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. content — happy
  2. root — the cause
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rule — government
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. root — of a word
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. season — in sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — of the year
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. temple — side of the head
  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