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: band · rush · bat · board · rash · lean · swing · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rash — hasty
  8. swing — in golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rash — a series
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. swing — to play on

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