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: tear · stem · pit · bear · mine · content · perch · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. pass — a permit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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