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 116 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 · clip · staff · swing · mine · key · race · lie

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. 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. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — in golf
  14. clip — a video
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. key — in music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. 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