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 · deal · lean · track · squash · game · firm · row

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. row — a line
  5. deal — to handle
  6. firm — decided
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. firm — steady
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — to crush
  19. game — a match
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — to come from
  24. deal — an agreement

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