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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. roll — a list
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — to go on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — the amount
  23. ground — crushed
  24. content — videos and posts

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