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 120 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: pass · pit · lean · perch · stem · stock · clip · land

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — a video
  3. land — to come down
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — thin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. land — a country
  23. clip — for paper
  24. perch — for a bird

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