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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. chest — of your body
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the fish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. chest — a box
  23. hide — animal skin
  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