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 120 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: rush · mine · race · bank · game · suit · scale · rest

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. suit — clothes
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — of a river
  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