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 116 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: chip · patient · current · stem · game · bank · hand · root

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. root — of a word
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — electric
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — happening now
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — of water
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — to come from
  23. root — the cause
  24. hand — help

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