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: safe · spring · squash · saw · mouse · deal · game · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spring — a coil
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. deal — to handle
  9. game — wild animals
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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