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 · key · scale · fall · arm · wake · present · tube

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. key — for a lock
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — the time now
  16. fall — the season
  17. present — there
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — the most important part
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — the underground

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