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: hand · wound · scale · swing · prune · key · rock · chair

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. swing — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hand — help
  15. rock — music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — a leader
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — the most important part

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