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: key · safe · fork · wave · tube · rash · wake · hand

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — hasty
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rash — a series
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — help
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. key — for a lock

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