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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — a trail
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — a country
  19. ground — the earth
  20. land — ground
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — boats
  24. sharp — exactly

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