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 · ball · dip · press · ground · temple · rush · branch

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. press — to push
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ground — a position
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ball — a great time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — to spend time

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