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: root · perch · ground · land · wake · fall · charge · hide

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — the cause
  3. charge — in control
  4. ground — crushed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fall — the season
  7. root — of a word
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. land — ground
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ground — a position
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — to come down
  24. hide — to keep secret

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