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: key · season · bank · straw · race · mate · safe · cold

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — in music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — humankind
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mate — a partner
  20. race — a contest
  21. cold — an illness
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cold — not warm
  24. race — the arms race

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