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: wake · shower · stand · bat · ball · chair · stock · deal

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stock — goods
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — shares
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. shower — rain

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