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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — humankind
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bound — certain
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cap — a hat
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bound — tied together
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bear — the animal

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