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: leaves · deal · tube · stock · file · ball · patient · game

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — a match
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. file — a document
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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