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: spring · ball · sharp · ground · race · suit · rash · bank

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spring — of water
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spring — a coil
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. suit — in cards
  23. sharp — exactly
  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