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: bank · key · mate · tear · race · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bank — for money
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. race — a contest
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — the most important part
  18. race — humankind

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