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: perch · present · bowl · wax · scale · content · fine · sharp

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. sharp — clever
  3. scale — size or range
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — high quality
  9. perch — the fish
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. fine — all right
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. content — the amount
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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