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: stem · chip · wake · mine · wave · current · roll · present

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. roll — a list
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. current — of water
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. current — electric
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. chip — to eat
  10. present — there
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. present — a gift
  19. stem — to come from
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mine — for digging
  23. current — happening now
  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