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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. land — ground
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the sport
  21. land — a country
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — a song
  24. prune — to trim

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