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: cell · hand · fork · sharp · racket · mine · tube · current

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — happening now
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tube — a container

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