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: row · mug · mate · rest · hand · season · current · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. root — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — of water
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — a line
  23. mate — a friend
  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