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: spring · wake · current · calf · bass · wound · dip · safe

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — of water
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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