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 · last · rush · chair · pitch · pass · mouse

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — in music
  9. last — finally
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. last — to go on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — completely

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