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: bat · sharp · current · mark · ground · last · plane · squash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — of water
  5. ground — the earth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ground — crushed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. last — final
  14. current — happening now
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. last — to go on
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. plane — a tool
  22. last — finally
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. plane — an aircraft

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