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: current · cabinet · swing · saw · lean · mug · club · court

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — electric
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — of law
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — for golf
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. swing — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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