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: plane · trunk · ground · current · court · key · sharp · spell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — a position
  4. sharp — clever
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. court — of law
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — for a lock
  11. court — of a king
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — of water
  15. plane — a tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — electric
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ground — crushed

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