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: foot · wind · dip · land · charge · fan · wax · root

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. root — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. root — the cause
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — of a word
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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