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: deal · stem · race · mouse · tear · game · current · wave

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — of water
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — to come from
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — happening now
  14. tear — from crying
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. current — electric
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — of the sea

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