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: press · drill · fall · ground · chip · stand · snap · bear

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. press — to push
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — a position
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to click
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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