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: squash · wound · spell · safe · wake · arm · swing · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. swing — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. swing — to play on
  10. net — for catching
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — a trail
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — before a funeral

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