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 · kid · pit · pass · scale · fall

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — a permit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — the season
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — to drop

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