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: chip · stand · drill · stock · wax · lie · game · lean

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — goods
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — to recline

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