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: stand · ground · snap · trunk · lean · march · content · mate

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — thin
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mate — a partner
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mate — to breed
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. march — the month
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. march — the month
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — happy
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stand — to bear
  22. march — music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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