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 · bass · cue · scale · charge · chest · racket · bat

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — low music
  4. chest — a box
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — in music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — the fish
  24. scale — size or range

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