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: mine · bank · squash · ground · staff · race · temple · fall

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. race — a contest
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ground — a position
  9. staff — employees
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fall — the season
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — humankind
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — a stick

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