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: land · leaves · hide · track · mate · fall · charge · bowl

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — a path
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. land — to come down
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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