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: scale · perch · chip · deal · racket · press · pop · wax

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chip — to eat
  4. press — to push
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wax — to grow
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pop — to visit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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