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: racket · fall · track · lash · stand · race · land · drill

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. land — to come down
  4. race — a contest
  5. land — ground
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — a country
  22. track — a song
  23. stand — to bear
  24. race — humankind

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