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: stem · race · scale · pass · perch · capital · prune · chip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. capital — money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. race — humankind
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — a contest
  11. chip — for betting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chip — to eat
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a city
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pass — to succeed

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