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: swing · safe · wave · game · sharp · squash · mouse · rest

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. swing — to play on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. game — a match
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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