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: deal · stock · object · lean · last · wave · bat · game

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stock — shares
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. last — to go on
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. last — final
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. object — an aim
  24. stock — goods

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