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 116 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: plane · perch · bark · scale · cell · pop · ball · bowl

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a great time
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cell — a phone
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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