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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a music group
  4. bass — the fish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — to play on
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — low music
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. swing — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — to paddle
  24. band — a rubber band

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