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: safe · band · wake · clip · racket · mug · arm · kick

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — to rob
  6. clip — a video
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — a cup
  11. band — a ring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — in football
  21. band — a music group
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. clip — for paper
  24. band — a rubber band

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