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: file · stock · swing · game · chair · deal · snap · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. game — a match
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. swing — music
  12. file — a tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. swing — to play on
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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