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: firm · current · bank · race · wound · racket · field · staff

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — of water
  5. field — farmland
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — a company
  10. current — electric
  11. race — humankind
  12. field — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. staff — a stick
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. race — the arms race
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — of a river
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — a contest

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