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: rock · mate · lean · field · key · foot · bat · stock

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. field — for sport
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. field — farmland
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stock — goods
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — a subject
  16. mate — a friend
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — shares

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