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: bank · stand · land · stem · content · scale · pass · game

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — for money
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. land — to come down
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. content — happy
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. content — the amount
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. game — a match
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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