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: court · lash · toast · race · bank · rule · stick · ground

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — the arms race
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — of a river
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — a law
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. rule — government
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. court — of a king
  24. bank — for money

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