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: current · chair · hand · scale · club · wind · prune · swing

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. swing — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — moving air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. swing — to play on
  14. club — for golf
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. current — of water
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hand — help
  23. club — a group
  24. current — happening now

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