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: rest · race · bank · staff · march · hide · mug · bound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — of a river
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. race — the arms race
  8. march — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — a break
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — a face
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — a stick
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — certain
  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