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: race · staff · lash · ground · roll · court · fine · deal

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — the earth
  6. race — humankind
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ground — crushed
  9. race — a contest
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. race — the arms race
  15. court — of law
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. court — of a king
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. staff — employees
  24. roll — a cake

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