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 120 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: key · hand · swing · wake · club · wave · net · saw

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — for catching
  9. club — a group
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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