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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. band — a music group
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — shares
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — the season
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a committee
  16. lie — to recline
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — to get on
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a flat piece

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