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: last · mate · root · kid · current · spring · dip · can

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — to breed
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. current — electric
  11. last — finally
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — happening now
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. current — of water
  24. can — a tin

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