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: mine · court · temple · wave · stock · wind · deal · leaves

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — to handle
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of law
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — moving air
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — a big deal

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