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: drill · wind · race · key · cabinet · chest · lash · fall

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. drill — a practice
  6. key — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. race — a contest
  11. chest — a box
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chest — of your body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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