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: mark · squash · safe · game · nail · spell · wound · perch

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. squash — to crush
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — letters
  15. game — a match
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — on a finger

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