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: current · hide · wave · staff · mine · roll · spring · temple

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. roll — a cake
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. current — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. roll — a list
  12. current — happening now
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. spring — of water

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