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

Word bank: squash · bass · mouse · ground · safe · toast · last · wound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. toast — bread
  4. wound — an injury
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ground — a position
  24. safe — out of danger

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