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: pitch · rash · plane · scale · perch · snap · present · wax

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wax — to grow
  10. present — a gift
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. present — the time now
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. perch — the fish
  21. present — there
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wax — in the ear

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