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: stand · shower · ground · wax · bass · leaves · snap · present

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to click
  5. ground — the earth
  6. shower — rain
  7. ground — a position
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stand — to bear
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bass — low music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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