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: mouse · last · fan · ground · prune · foot · fine · snap

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — to trim
  3. last — finally
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — crushed
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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