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: ground · mouse · cell · bore · safe · rash · can · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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