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 · rest · spring · safe · chest · track · wound · snap

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a path
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — a break
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — a box
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to click
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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