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 116 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: racket · stock · swing · chip · wake · safe · spring · wind

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — to play on
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. swing — music

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