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: pass · bear · race · press · snap · mine · temple · cold

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. race — humankind
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — newspapers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pass — a permit
  10. race — a contest
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — to push
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pass — to spend time
  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