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: suit · game · chest · mark · object · rush · stock · fall

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stock — goods
  7. chest — a box
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fall — the season
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. chest — of your body

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