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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. net — for catching
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — in sport
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. net — after costs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. hand — help
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. safe — out of danger

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