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: date · current · tube · saw · court · ground · sharp · wave

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — the earth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — of law
  7. current — of water
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — of a king
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. court — for sport
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — happening now
  21. ground — crushed
  22. current — electric
  23. ground — a position
  24. tube — in a tire

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