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: pop · perch · wake · racket · hand · wound · snap · club

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — an injury
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to click
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. club — for golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pop — to visit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pop — music
  24. hand — help

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