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 120 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: charge · stem · mate · perch · bound · wake · root · row

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bound — certain
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — in control
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — obliged
  7. row — a line
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a partner
  17. row — to paddle
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — the fish
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. charge — a price
  24. perch — for a bird

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