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: perch · root · bowl · deal · plane · press · scale · cold

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — the cause
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. press — to push
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — a tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cold — not warm
  24. press — a publisher

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