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: ground · plane · root · snap · perch · charge · straw · bound

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — crushed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — in control
  14. snap — to click
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — the earth
  17. charge — a price
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bound — tied together
  20. root — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ground — a position
  24. root — of a word

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