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: patient · scale · prune · bowl · stem · present · pass · content

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — there
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — a gift
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — size or range
  23. present — the time now
  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