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: safe · date · mouse · degree · fall · wake · club · mate

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. club — for golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. degree — an amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. degree — temperature
  18. club — for dancing
  19. degree — from a university
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. club — a group

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