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: charge · root · perch · face · bass · game · land · degree

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. land — ground
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — part of the head
  5. perch — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — to point toward
  12. game — a match
  13. root — of a word
  14. land — a country
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — low music
  19. land — to come down
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — to confront
  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