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: wave · racket · season · fine · last · safe

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — of the year
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — final
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea

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