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 · hand · craft · swing · fork · bound · rock · club

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — for golf
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — certain
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. craft — boats
  12. current — electric
  13. club — a group
  14. current — happening now
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — tied together
  24. current — of water

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