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: rule · bass · spring · board · bear · club · deal · swing

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bass — low music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. club — a group
  18. board — to get on
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — the season
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. rule — a law
  24. deal — to handle

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