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 120 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: lash · rash · board · coach · swing · bear · tube · spring

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spring — of water
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — the season
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a committee
  11. swing — in golf
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spring — a coil
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rash — a series
  24. tube — the underground

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