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: chest · spell · board · spring · march · club · lie · bass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. club — a group
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chest — a box
  8. spring — the season
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spring — a coil
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — to recline
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spell — magic
  22. march — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — the fish

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