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: bass · shower · saw · present · stem · leaves · pass · bank

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — to come from

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